Quantitation of Plasma Proteins to Predict Taxane-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy (TIPN) is a dose-limiting toxicity of paclitaxel in patients with cancer. TIPN prediction is challenging although patients with higher systemic paclitaxel exposure have higher TIPN risk. This study aimed to identify protein predictors of TIPN and paclitaxel pharmacokinetics (PK).

This is a retrospective analysis of a prospective study of females with early-stage breast cancer receiving weekly paclitaxel. TIPN was assessed using the sensory subscale of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN)20 (CIPN8). A blood sample was collected within 10 minutes before the end of the first paclitaxel infusion to measure plasma proteins using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and to estimate maximum systemic paclitaxel concentration (C_max). A second sample was collected approximately 24 hours after the first infusion to estimate paclitaxel time above threshold (T_c>0.05). Linear mixed-effect and regression models were used to identify proteins predictive of TIPN and paclitaxel PK parameters, respectively, using a Bonferroni-adjusted α = .0006.

Data from 36 participants were included in the analysis testing associations of 83 proteins with TIPN or PK. Higher levels of complement C3 were associated with more severe TIPN trajectories (P = .0002). No proteins were associated with either C_max or T_c>0.05 (all P > .0006).

Complement C3 concentration at the end of initial paclitaxel infusion may be useful for identifying patients with breast cancer and potentially other tumor types who could benefit from TIPN prevention strategies to improve long-term treatment outcomes.